Who Do You Admire?

It is said that modeling is one of the powerful success technique you can leverage. We all know people that we admire, people that we wish we were more like. 


Before you start modelling others behaviour I believe it is essential to know who yourself. What are your strengths? Not only what you are good at but what makes you feel strong and competent. What gives you energy and resilience?

One size does not fit all. Sometimes in order to fit in and be accepted we put aside our own unique experience, values and loose touce with our inner resources.
If you are feeling tired, unmotivated, lacking in enthusiasm the chances are it is time to take stock of who you are and who you want to be.
To recognise what are the inner resources that you have that make you feel strong, competent, enthusiastic and at your best. Then to incorporate or experiment with their successful strategies of those you admire; their skills, beliefs, attitudes and values. 


More significant for me, is the importance  of knowing your beliefs, attitudes and values. Which one's are working for you and which do you need to change. Then look at someone you admire and observe what it is that they do to achieve the results that you would like.


I would like to be more courageous. 
I don't want to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro, although I admire people who do. I want to be courageous in trying out new challenges. Speaking out for things that matter to me. Being the best I can be as a mother, a friend, a human being. 


I can model aspects of Nelson Mandela, a sister at the Sisters of Charity Orphanage in Pondicherry and Melinda Gates, my girlfriend who has battled cancer and many others. It is knowing what others do to find their inner strength and practicing it and adding it to my own resources.


I would love to hear how this has worked for you. 

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” Zig Ziglar

The more things change the more they stay the same

The only constant is change, wrote the greek philosopher Heraclitus in the 6th Century BC. 


This is true. However the interesting thing is that although things change our response to the change may still remain the same.
I find myself stuck in patterns that are no longer useful to me. I am sur that I am not the only one! The trick is to spot these patterns/habits and replace them with something more empowering. 


This is quite a process.
• Identify what's not working
• Reflect on why, how, when, where this doesn't work for you          
• What is going to work better? How will this change your life/work/ relationship
• How are you going to implement this change? What might stop you?
• How are you going to measure your success?
• How are you going to make this change stick?

Socrates said, “ Enlightenment lies not in the answer but in the question.”

Sustainable Change requires a Sustainable Plan

You can change for change's sake however if you want to make changes that make a difference this requires a plan. 
Change is like the tip of the iceberg. It looks like things are changing however if you don't consider what lies beneath suatainable change is unlikely. 
What is it that I want to change? 
It is the submerged part of the iceberg that gets in the way. It is those things that we keep invisible that trip us up.

Having a plan necessitates that you think about your goal.
What will it look like?
What will you have to do to achieve it?
What are you prepared to do, what actions will you take?
What are you prepared to let go?
Is it in line with your values?
What will get in your way? (Most of the time it is YOU)
Is it realistic or is it something I think I should do?
What will be my first step and all the steps there after. How will I know I have achieved it?
How will it make a difference to me/others ?
How am I going to support these changes?
SO many questions.
Unless you set the foundations there is nothing to support your good intentions they will melt away.
You will be left with another question. Why didn't that work?

Plan Persistence & Possibility

“The key to change... is to let go of fear.” 

 I started out with enthusiasm. Talked to friends and others about what I was doing. Like any new plan I was engaged for the first few weeks and then it trailed off. What got in the way? . I began to question the relevance of what I was doing. Why bother no one else is looking. Without a map I lost my way. I was disappointed in myself so I said it doesn't really matter. Isn't that why we tackle the discomfort of change because we want something better. It takes the 3 P's  PLAN -PERSISTENCE and POSSIBILITY

What Have I done?

I find writing a blog challenging. When I started I was really pleased with myself, it was just like writing a journal. I didn't intend to share it with others, but without feedback I soon lost interest. Writing a blog reveals who you are. I haven't got time to create a new persona.So sometimes I feel like the fish in that fish bowl, very exposed.Writing a blog takes discipline, it takes time and if it isn't going to be of value to anyone why bother. 
I really had to ponder if a Blog was for me. 
Doing anything new can be challenging. It won't be sustainable unless it is linked to a clear purpose. So my purpose this year is to explore change that support who we are when we are at our very best.

Keeping on track

I was reminded again today about how often we (1) can get side tracked. I say we in that I think I am not alone. It is obvious that we need a plan and a compelling vision of what we want to do, be or achieve. However for me this is not enough. I love the big ideas and connecting with others who share or desire to travel in the same direction. However I am someone who needs an itinerary to keep me focus on track and moving in the right direction. I am planning a trip to Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam. It is a holiday, an adventure, a challenge, an opportunity for the new and different. Taking all of these elements into account it will not happen without research, planning, input from travelers who have been to this destination before and my ability to make choices. "The devils in the detail" and so it is for me. I need to check back on the itinerary. Am I going in my desired direction or do I need to change course. Am I travelling solo or in good company.

Honesty paved with good intentions

My aim in writing this blog is to be honest. I find change challenging as the next person. The truth is I have not done what I said I would. My favourite aunt used to quote that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" I have often thought that maybe I have surfaced a super highway. Maybe that is too harsh but I certainly have felt guilty.
Guilt is one of those barriers that stop people perservering with change. It builds a brick wall of self doubt, excuses and siphons our energy. Things happen, people often don't do what they say they will.  I am not going to waste time in self crticism because I know this doesn't lead anywhere useful.
When I googled this quote it said that Perfectionist are especially prone to have their intentions backfire in this way. Interesting! I know I have a perfectionist streak ....
Rather than reflecting on the problem (worthwhile) I need to work out a solution to keep me on track. 8 am I will set challenge for the day & before I go to bed I will reflect, review  and write.